About
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Organist, educator, conductor, clinician, noted improvisor, continuo player, arranger—these are just some of the labels applied to this versatile and increasingly in-demand artist. |
Timothy Howard’s playing has been hailed as “precision-cut” and filled with “superb grace and élan” (The Orange County Register). Recognized as both a soloist and collaborator, he is featured regularly on American Guild of Organists (AGO) chapter, community, and church recital and series.
Timothy Howard participated in the Los Angeles AGO’s marathon presentations of the complete Organ Symphonies of Charles Marie Widor (playing the monumental Symphony VIII) and César Franck’s complete major organ works, each time to an enthusiastic audience of his peers and the public. In 2016 he presented the West Coast premiere of Robert Sirota’s Apparitions for organ and string quartet, he was featured organ soloist for the 82nd Los Angeles Bach Festival (coinciding with Occidental College’s 50th anniversary celebration of their Schlicker pipe organ in Herrick Chapel), and featured soloist for the American Liszt Society Festival. In 2018 he presented the world premiere of Anothy Rispo’s Suite, Op. 2 for organ and strings, and has been organ soloist for Howard Hanson’s Concerto for Organ, Harp and Strings and Leo Sowerby’s Classic Concerto for organ and strings. For nine seasons, he was the principal keyboard continuo player at the Corona del Mar Baroque Music Festival, and he has appeared with the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Green Umbrella group, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, the choirs of Long Beach City College, and with Paul Halley in one of the composer’s live performances. He played solo pieces and accompanied Hollywood Presbyterian Church’s Cathedral Choir on their British Tour, with performances at York Minster and the cathedrals at Lincoln, Durham and Edinburgh. In addition to a number of solo organ recitals each season, his live performances of his organ scores for the silent films Nosferatu and From the Manger to the Cross have become quite popular. In 2006 he was rehearsal accompanist and performance organist for the Angeles Chorale’s Lauridsen Weekend under the leadership of Don Neuen and Morten Lauridsen.
A graduate, with honors, from the University of Southern California with a Doctor of Musical Arts degree, Dr. Howard also holds degrees from Westminster Choir College and Biola University.
Dr. Howard is Director of Music and Organist at Pasadena Presbyterian Church and Lecturer in Music at California State University, Northridge.
At Pasadena Presbyterian Church, Dr. Howard directs the congregation’s flagship Kirk Choir and an auditioned chamber choir, the Pasadena Singers. As Artistic Director of the church’s Friends of Music Concert Series, he produces, conducts, and plays in performances of major works old and new.
At California State University Northridge, Dr. Howard heads the school’s organ program, teaches music theory and analysis, musicianship, and other courses, and has conducted the University’s Wind Symphony and Women’s Chorale.
Dr. Howard’s repertoire reflects his expansive musical interests. Newer works as organist or conductor include the West Coast premiere of Scott Perkins’ A New England Requiem, the U.S. premiere of Rory Boyle’s Tallis’ Light, the live performance World premiere of Benjamin Britten’s Rondo Concertante, Carson Cooman’s chamber opera Thieves, Nico Muhly’s Beaming Music for Marimba and Organ, Richard Purvis’ Pièce Symphonique, Margaret Vardell Sandresky’s Dialogues for Organ and Strings, and Charles Fernandez’s Bachus Illatus. More “traditional” offerings have included J.S. Bach’s Passion According to St. John and motet Jesu, meine Freude, Handel’s Messiah (complete), Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Karl Jenkins’ Stabat Mater and The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace, Morten Lauridsen’s Lux Aeterna and Mid-Winter Songs, Requiem settings by Johannes Brahms, W.A. Mozart, Maurice Duruflé, John Rutter and Gabriel Fauré, Joseph Haydn’s Paukenmesse (”Mass in Time of War”), Benjamin Britten’s The Company of Heaven and Rejoice in the Lamb, Elizabeth Sellers’ Veni Emmanuel, Johannes Brahms’ Liebeslieder Walzer, Mozart’s Solemn Vespers of the Confessor, Joseph Jongen’s Hymne for strings and organ.
Since his first professional church job at age 13, Dr. Howard has held a number of noteworthy positions, including Garden Grove Community Church (Assistant Organist), First Presbyterian Church, Hollywood (Organist), and All Saints Church, Pasadena (Associate Organist-Choirmaster). He was Artistic Director of the 65-voice Foothill Master Chorale, and served for some 15 years as Chorusmaster for the Los Angeles Music Theatre Company. In 1998 he made his operatic conducting debut with LAMTC, leading singers and the orchestra in Mozart’s Bastien and Bastienne and The Impresario.
For two seasons Dr. Howard arranged and led the recording of choral music for the HBO series Big Love. His recorded organ scores to accompany the silent films Nosferatu, From the Manger to the Cross, and The Life and Passion of Jesus Christ are widely available. In 1999, he was musical adviser and recording artist for the world premiere of The Presentment at the Pasadena Playhouse; a revival was staged at the 2011 Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland.
Dr. Howard’s work as composer, arranger and performing collaborator can be heard on Christopher Parkening’s Simple Gifts (Angel Records), an album of sacred music for guitar; and his string and wind arrangements accompany pop/rock singer Brian Reeves on Never Looking Back (Briro Records). His arrangement of Sourwood Mountain for mixed treble voices (written for the Cal State Northridge Women’s Chorale) has enjoyed widespread use.
Dr. Howard has been active in the American Guild of Organists, having served as Dean, Sub-dean, Education Chair and in a number of other roles for local chapters. He served two terms as Regional Councillor, representing Region IX on the organization’s National Council, and has served three times as teacher and recitalist for Pipe Organ Encounters, helping introduce young people to music of the organ. He is a member of the board that oversees the Ruth and Clarence Mader Memorial Scholarship Fund.
For additional information, visit www.timothyphoward.com
Updated April 2024
